Chidambaram temple

Synopsis Hustle bustle, caravan of pilgrims, enthusiastic photographers and tourists were what greeted me as I set foot on the temple town of Chidambaram. Given the fact that it was a 4-day weekend, the crowd was larger than usual and as e … Hustle bustle, caravan of pilgrims, enthusiastic photographers and tourists were what greeted me as I set foot on the temple town of Chidambaram. Given the fact that it was a 4-day weekend, the crowd was larger than usual and as expected the epicenter of all activity was Thillai Nataraja temple. Situated in the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, Chidamabaram is located around 200 km from the capital city of Chennai. Hustle bustle, caravan of pilgrims, enthusiastic photographers and tourists were what greeted me as I set foot on the temple town of Chidambaram. Given the fact that it was a 4-day weekend, the crowd was larger than usual and as expected the epicenter of all activity was Thillai Nataraja temple. Situated in the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, Chidamabaram is located around 200 km from the capital city of Chennai. Synonymous with temples and festivities, the town ranks high in terms of religious significance, culture and tradition. Ruled by the Cholas, Pandyas, Marathas and finally the British, the town is mainly known for tourism which forms the backbone of its economy. Apart from the temple circuit, Chidambaram lies very close to Pichavaram, which is one of the largest mangrove forests in the world. Second only to the Sun...

Chidambaram to most North Indians is just the name of a famous politician. Maybe it is the name of the village he comes from. It is only when you come down south or when you study temples in South India that you know that Chidambaram is home to the famous Nataraja Temple also called Chidambaram Temple. Located about 240 odd km south of Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram reflecting in the temple tank History & Legend of Nataraja Temple Long before the temple came up, this place used to be a huge forest called Thillai Vana named after Thillai mangroves. Rishis used to live here and perform rituals. They started believing that Shiva can be controlled by powerful mantras. So, Shiva one day decided to visit them garbed as a wandering mendicant, accompanied by Vishnu in the form of Mohini. Wives of the rishis were enchanted by Shiva, so Rishis threw serpents on him. He simply accepts them and wears them as his ornaments. They throw a tiger at him & Shiva kills it and wears its skin around his waist. Sages then pool in all their spiritual powers and invoke the Muyalakan Asura – a symbol of ignorance and arrogance. Shiva simply stands on it making it immobile. He then performs Anand Tandava – the dance of bliss and reveals his true form to the Rishis. They all bow down to him and realize their ignorance. Anand Tandava Another legend says that Vishnu as Adi Shesha came here to witness the Anand Tandava of Shiva. He continues to be present at the temple as Govindaraja. Since then, Shiva i...

Chidambaram Nataraja Temple’s magnificent gopuram Chidambaram Nataraja Temple History Sangam Tamil literary works mention this ancient temple. At that time, this temple was known as Thillai. Later the Cholas expanded the temple and built several huge halls, including the Chit Sabha, Kanaka Sabha, and the Nritya Sabha. They also built the temple tanks and many of the Gopurams. Later on, Pandya kings added more gopurams and other features. After the pillage, looting, and destruction unleashed by Malik Kafur in the 14th Century, the temple lay in ruins. Eventually, the Vijayanagara Kings and later the Nayaks restored and renovated the temple. Some Interesting Facts About This Temple Natya Shastra: This temple is also famous for the depiction of the 108 mudras mentioned in Bharata Muni’s Natya Sastra. Natya Mudras carved on the walls of Chidambaram Nataraja Temple Major Festival: The 10-day Arudra Festival is celebrated in Margazhi (Dec-Jan). It begins on Thiruvathira Day. Then, there is the 10-day Aani Thirumanjanam Festival (Jun-Jul). Shiva in Three Forms: In the main Nataraja shrine, Shiva is present in three forms. There is therepresentative form, the Spatika Linga. Second is Nataraja, the human form. Then, there is the empty space behind a curtain. This represents Shiva in the Akasha aspect (space or ether among the five elements). This is the Chidambara Rahasyam. Chidambaram Nataraja Swamy Temple Timings: The temple opens for Darshan at 5:00 am and stays open until 12:30...

Spread over an area of 40 acres in the heart of the city, a visit to the Chidambaram Siva temple is an overwhelming experience. From the eastern entrance the temple tower seems like a pair of joined arms raised towards the vastness of the sky. Each story of the tower bears the sculptural marvels of the histrionic mudras (gestures) of Bharathan's Natyasastra. Countless characters from the legends come alive on the walls of this tower. However, it is the eastern entrance that attracts the crowds. The flower sellers' cries of 'buy two yards of flower garlands, one for Nataraja and one for Sivakami Devi' rent the air. The preists called Dikshitars, chant hymns on the ghats of holy Sivaganga pond. Everybody here, from darshan seekers to street hawkers in the temple premises, venerates Ananda Nataraja. Muthu Kumaran who runs a tea stall in front of the temple said that he is named Kumaran after the name of the Lord's son. Sixth grader Gautam who sells flowers also proclaims himself as a big devotee of Nataraja. **Where Time stands still** I am enchanted by the intricate sculptures and granite corridors of the temple enclosure, Do sculptures have a language? If so, do they speak in a language more beautiful than ours? A sense of eternal Time pervades as we traverse the paths stretching like fortress in the great Chidambaram temple. We feel the presence of Maheswara who makes Time dance eternally. There is no definite answer to the question as to when Chidambaram temple came into ...

Thillai Nataraja Temple, or the Chidambaram Nataraja Temple, is dedicated to the dancing form of Nataraja. This temple is located in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India. Lord Shiva, is seen in a dancing pose here. Chidambaram when split into two words, means Chit (gyana or wisdom) and Ambaram ( akasha or space). There are 8 temples of Lord shiva which exactly fall in the same longitude (79°E 41'54") and the Thillai Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram is one among them too. This is really a stunning marvel as it was built around the 2nd century AD and was rebuilt by the Cholas in the 10th Century AD in an era which did not know of satellites or satellite indicating locations. Read on to know more. Apart from other mysteries surrounding this temple, the architecture of the temple at Chidambaram resembles the human physique. Scientists have explored the mystery of this temple for centuries and finally have concluded that the Nataraj posture resembles the cosmic dance. When we see the universe beyond the galaxy level, we reach a point where the whole space looks like an exact replica of a Nataraj statue. Chidambara Rahasyam: Secrets • The temple in its construction resembles the human body with all its minute parts. • There are five walls that encircle one another which denote the five kosas or sheaths of human existence. five walls encircling one another are the kosas (sheaths) of human existence. The five Koshas are the Annamaya (material body), Pranamaya (vital force or prana), Manom...

:: RITUALS :: The temple is managed and administered hereditarily by the Chidambaram Dikshitar – a class of Vaideeka Brahmins whom, legends say, were brought here, from Mt. Kailas, by Saint Patanjali, specifically for the performance of the daily rituals and maintenance of the Chidambaram temple. The Deekshithars were supposed to be 3000 ( 2999 actually, with the Lord totaling 3000 ) and were called the Tillai Moovayaram. Today they number around 360. These Deekshithars follow the Vedic rituals, unlike the Sivachariyars or Adhisaivars – who follow the agamic rituals for the worship of Lord Shiva. The rituals for the temple were collated from the Vedas and set by Patanjali, who is said to have inducted the Deekshithars into the worship of Lord Shiva as Nataraja. In general, every married male member of the Deekshithar family gets a turn to perform the rituals at the temple and can serve as the chief priest for the day. Married Deekshithars are also entitled a share of the temple's revenue. The day begins with the Chief priest of the day, performing required rituals to purify himself and assume the Shivoham bhava, after which he enters the temple to do the daily rituals. The day begins with the Lord’s footwear (padukas) being brought at 7:00am from the Palliyarai (or bedroom) to the sanctum sanctorum in a palanquin accompanied by devotees with cymbals and chimes and drums. The Priest then begins by performing the daily rituals with a yagna and a ' Go pujai' (worship of a cow...

608001 Telephone code +91-4144 TN-91 Website Chidambaram is a town and Chidambaram covers an area of 4.8km 2 (1.9sqmi) and had a population of 62,153 as of 2011. It is administered by a Etymology and legend [ ] Chidambaram is one of the many temple towns in the state which is named after the groves, clusters or forests dominated by a particular variety of a tree or shrub and the same variety of tree or shrub sheltering the presiding deity. Thillai ambalam literally meaning the open stage of Thillai. Chidambaram comes from the Tamil word Chitrambalam (also spelled Chithambalam) meaning "wisdom atmosphere". The roots are citta or chitthu means consciousness or wisdom while and ambalam means "atmosphere". According to Hindu legend, in the Thillai forests resided a group of sages who believed in the supremacy of magic — that the gods could be controlled by rituals and mantras. [ citation needed] Shiva smiled gently, stepped on the demon's back to immobilise him, and performed the Ánanda Thandavam (the dance of eternal bliss), thus disclosing his true form. The sages surrendered, realizing that rituals cannot control the gods. History [ ] There is reference to the temple or the town in Thiruthondar Thogai (the sacred list of Lord Shiva's 63 devotees) paying his respects to the priests of the Thillai temple - "To the devotees of the priests at Thillai, I am a devotee". The works of the first three saints, the Thirumurai were stored in palm leaf manuscripts in the temple and were...